Sparkman, Kwinn Reach Double-Figures at Coast Guard

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. &ndash; A team-high 18 points by Hannah Sparkman and 17 rebounds along with 11 points from Cheryl Kwinn would not be enough as the U.S. Coast Guard Academy defeated MIT, 61-47, in a NEWMAC women&rsquo;s basketball game on Saturday. In addition to her double-double, Kwinn contributed four assists and one steal. Jamie Simmons bolstered the Engineers&rsquo; (4-13, 0-7 NEWMAC) attack with six points and four assists.

MIT registered the first five points of the game, but the Bears countered with a 15-4 run to go up, 15-9, at the 12:20 mark. The Engineers battled back, retaking the lead (21-20) on a put-back by Kwinn. Coast Guard inched out to a three-point edge; however a trey by Sparkman at the buzzer knotted the contest at 24.

The Bears&rsquo; Melissa Martinelli sank a pair of free throws to start the half. The Cardinal and Gray countered with a three-pointer by Sally Simpson and a free throw from Allison Simi, taking a two-point lead (28-26) after three minutes expired. On Coast Guard&rsquo;s ensuing possession, a basket by Martinelli sparked an 8-0 spurt that spanned four minutes.

MIT chipped away at the deficit, coming within four (38-34) on a trey by Simmons at 11:13. Coast Guard responded with a 12-3 run during the next seven minutes to gain some breathing room. A three-pointer by Simmons and a basket from Sparkman narrowed the gap to eight (50-42) with just under three minutes left to play. The Engineers remained within striking distance courtesy of five points by Sparkman, but the Bears scored nine of their final 11 points from the charity stripe to secure the win.